Born January 22, 1968 to William and Loretta Murray, I was pretty much the quiet one as a little girl. Later as I grew older, fighting with my brothers had "toughened me up". I started playing tackle football with my brothers and our neighbor's grandchildren which turned out to be a lot of fun. I didn't mind being the only girl on my street playing football with the guys.

In high school I ran track and was a member of the Varsity Club. This was at a time when my popularity wasn't "at the top of the charts". It was then that I found my niche in life. Counseling my friends on their love lives, putting myself in other people's situations, as well as being frustrated with how things were going with my life.

Unwilling to discuss my problems with others, I began putting them on paper. In doing this I learned how to release a lot of stress, tension, and all around negativity while bringing to light a new perspective of my surroundings. This is how it all got started. I guess the most common question everyone has asked is, " How do you do it?" The answer is simple. I do it by seeing not only with my eyes, but reaching deep down in my soul to see with my heart and mind as well.

On Common Ground is my first book of poetry. It's a collection of works reflecting memories of my everyday life since high school. It's taught me how to look at life from behind the doors of others.
In order to better understand someone's situation, I have to put myself in that persons place and then try to imagine how I myself, would deal with that particular problem. By doing that, I'm better able to understand my own problems and deal with them accordingly.

What I try to do with my poetry, is to basically get people to realize that there are others out there with problems far worse than what we ourselves have. To in a sense, take the blinders off their minds as well as their eyes and not to be so quick to judge others without looking at themselves first.

We live in a world that will be coming to an end someday; when no one really knows, but until that day is to come we need to start being more aware of what is happening in our surroundings. I truly hope that in reading my book, everyone will become a better person within themselves as well as within our society. I still continue to write poetry today. In the upcoming year I plan to have a short story published as well as a few children's books.